What’s this concrete beam?

[pbellamy]

As per my other thread I’m now digging the front of my house to get to an appropriate grade. (Previous house owner put a patio way above level of foundation and bottom12 inches of siding are rotted).

move now dug outback to 6 inches below sidings but there is a mystery concrete beam in front if the siding about six inches below the rot point.
I think I should take this out but it’s pretty solid.
Thoughts?

 

[Snoonyb]

A more panoramic view will reveal additional details of the lot grade and slope away, because the concrete, may be a grade beam.

 

[pbellamy]

A more panoramic view will reveal additional details of the lot grade and slope away, because the concrete, may be a grade beam.

hope these help. I’m out the level on there to show just how hig the patio was

also why would a grade beam be in front of the (nip rotted) wooden vertical sidings?

 

[Snoonyb]

Thanks.
Grade beams are a slope stabilizer, and I can't tell if the lot slopes down and away, beyond the patio.

Why the T-111 wasn't cut and the patio built correctly, is beyond me.

The beam may have been poored as a method of mitigating the pressure of the in-fill of the patio base material.

 

[pbellamy]

I’m thinking the same! My current thinking is to take the concrete beam out so I can get to the rotten siding and check the wood behind it…
It’s a significant concrete beam though. About 12 inches deep.I think it was a botched attempt to raise the grade, but even that seems odd as it’s so far below the grade too…

 

[Sparky617]

Does the siding go below the concrete beam? What is the foundation of the house? Is it a slab? If so, is it below the level of the patio? I would certainly cut back the siding and remove it, but before I tore out the grade beam, I'd want to know what's behind it. If it is framing, you've got bigger problems.

 

[bud16415]

Does the siding go below the concrete beam? What is the foundation of the house? Is it a slab? If so, is it below the level of the patio? I would certainly cut back the siding and remove it, but before I tore out the grade beam, I'd want to know what's behind it. If it is framing, you've got bigger problems.

It looks to me like the house was built and then at some point a area behind the house was desired that ether needed to be cut out or filled in to make it level. One way would have required a retaining wall and the other this curb next to the house. Then bricks and fill were added that extended even above the curb. The original hope or the hope when the brick was added was the tile would take away water outside the curb.

Right now it looks like the homeowner may find a rotted bottom plate and stud bottom and it may become a bit of a project if the structure is below grade. He may find a block wall with the T1-11 lapped down over. If that’s the case the repair might not be that much.

 

[Sparky617]

It looks to me like the house was built and then at some point a area behind the house was desired that ether needed to be cut out or filled in to make it level. One way would have required a retaining wall and the other this curb next to the house. Then bricks and fill were added that extended even above the curb. The original hope or the hope when the brick was added was the tile would take away water outside the curb.

Right now it looks like the homeowner may find a rotted bottom plate and stud bottom and it may become a bit of a project if the structure is below grade. He may find a block wall with the T1-11 lapped down over. If that’s the case the repair might not be that much.

Looking at his other post, yeah they installed a patio that is above the wood framing. It's a hot mess.